Help!! Large Dent...

[AgCoach]

I have a football sized dent in the door of my truck that causes my door to not open but about a foot...I really cannot afford the 900 that they said it would take to fix it...is there any way i can pull out the dent with something? Would it be easy enough (with some direction) to take the door off and rubber hammer the dent out at least so I can open the door the whole way?? Im more than willing to throw some money at somebody if you can walk me through the steps I should take to get the door to open!!



I know this might not be the right forum, but I could really use the help.



Thanks in advance!

[ifoam]

you can try going to a PDR professional (paintless dent repair). im sure it would be cheaper.





autozone also sells rubber suction cups used to pop up dents...i dont know if it works though

[Five Star]

some PDR guys don`t really touch large dents, but i would ask around, some guys do. expect to pay up to $175-$200



like i tell people. sometimes you can find a used one in the salvage yard, the same color

just replace it.

[foxtrapper]

Start with a toilet plunger. Wet the lip, push it down on the dent, and pull. Many times it will pull out a large shallow dent.



But, since you say the dent prevents you from opening the door, that sounds like a more serious dent. One that`s bent the door frame itself. So the plunger probably will not suffice.



On to round two!



Work with a paint stick or screwdriver and carefully lift the fender as you open the door. You want the door open fully, or nearly so. Wooden paint sticks don`t chip paint the way metal screwdrivers do.



With the door open, remove the interior door panel and raise the window.



With some care you will now have enough access to the sheetmetal to push the dent back out...mostly. It`s not going to be perfect because the door is so bent. But, you can get it a whole lot better than it is now.



The hardest part will be where the leading edge of the door is so bent it fouls the fender. This may require the use of a hard rubber mallet to tap it back down. Easier to do it with the door off the car, but it can be done installed with some care and improvisation.



When working out a dent, the general rule of how to proceed is to reverse the damage. Ie, start on the outside and work your way in.